Astro turf or aspen shavings?

[Amber-Kay]

Hay everyone

Im still tossing up on wether im going to get astro-turf or aspen shavings as a substrate for my python. If anyone who has used either of these could tell me the pros and cons for usage that would help a lot in my decision.

Thanks in advance,

 

[reptalica]

Astro-turf for mine, but make sure you have 2-3 pieces for back up so when it comes time to cleaning/sanitising the cage u can just change them as u so desire as opposed to any form of shavings where you really need to change the lot IMHO.

 

[mrmikk]

I went down this road in the beginning and I now use newspaper in all of my enclosures. As far as I am concerned it is so much cheaper and easier to keep clean. Maybe ok if you are only going to keep one snake though. Out of your two options, I would go the astro turf.

 

[ssssmithy]

a mate got me onto aspen snake bedding,bit expensive but worth it when it comes to cleaning, just remove a small section of the aspen where the fiecies etc. is and replace...also looks great. Some astro turf can be quiet sharp n as reptalica said has to be cleaned and sanitised.

 

[Ewan]

I have used the aspen bedding zoo med brand and I found that it looks good and was easy to remove any excrement without replacing the substrate. However it was a pain when it gets in the tracks of your sliding doors and you cant close them all the way and when I gets in the carpet and you have to vacuum all the time. I feel now, that I am keeping more than one animal, that newspaper is far cheaper and more sanitary to use.

 

[dicb2]

I have used artro turf and having a couple of pieces, just pulled one out and replace while i cleaned the other. After a while they do fray.

 

[Renagade]

i don't like the look of astro turf. i use aspen in my snakes hide, and repti bark as the main substraight.

 

[Moonfox]

I'd really recommend Aspen shavings: they look nice, hold a certain amount of warmth and are really easy to spot clean. I wouldn't use anything else . I have the ExoTerra 60x40 tank though, so sliding doors aren't a problem for me.

I've never used astro turf before, but I can only imagine it would be a bugger to clean .

 

[Trouble]

astro turf
quick n easy to clean, and it looks nice

 

[Ozzie Python]

i use a mixture of aspen bedding and repti bark for my lizards purely because they usually bury themselves in it rather than use a hide. but snakes get paper towel or newspaper so much cheaper and easier to clean.

The issue i have with the aspen or bark is you never quite know if you have got all the nasties out, i spot clean and then change all substrate every 2-3 weeks, depending how much faeces i find, and it is damn expensive for the amount you use in a 4 tank. At least with paper you take the whole lot out, give the floor a clean, put in new stuff and your done in 10 minutes and you know it's clean.